Bay Area briefs

TRANSIT WORKER GAVE NEEDY TEEN BART TICKETS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco transit worker is in trouble for giving a needy teenager free BART tickets to get to school.

The San Francisco Chronicle says 65-year-old Daly City station agent Jim Stanek faces a personnel hearing on Friday and he's been told he may be forced to retire.

Stanek says he gave the teen $300 worth of paid, unused tickets left behind by Bay Area Rapid Transit commuters. Those tickets are usually thrown away.

The 16-year-old boy's father died last year and his grandparents took him into their Oakley home. He was having trouble at a Hercules school so the grandparents enrolled him in San Francisco's Flex Academy.

But it costs $200 a month from the Pittsburg station to San Francisco and the grandparents had trouble affording the fares.

MAN PUSHING CHILD IN STROLLER SHOT TO DEATH: OAKLAND (AP) — Police are investigating why someone shot and killed a man as he pushed his son in a toy stroller outside an east Oakland housing project.

Authorities identified the man Thursday as 24-year-old Tyrell Smith.

Police say the gunman drove up in a car, got out and shot Smith in the head without warning Wednesday afternoon at the Lockwood Gardens complex. The 1-year-old boy was not injured.

The gunman fled in the car, as a resident grabbed the child and took him to safety.

Sgt. Randy Wingate said the killing is one of the most "cold-blooded" attacks he's ever seen. Police have no motive and no suspects in custody.

Escrow failed to close Tuesday on Bethany's 60-acre Scott's Valley campus west of Highway 17.

The fate of the small Assemblies of God-affiliated school, which currently has 270 students, is now uncertain.

Bethany announced last summer that it was closing the campus.

But Olivet University, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches, stepped in to purchase the campus.

COURT: SF CITY WORKERS CAN DISPLACE SCHOOL STAFF: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A state appeals court says laid-off San Francisco city workers can displace non-teaching school staff with less seniority.

The First District Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld the reassignment of dozens of former city workers over the last few years to school jobs, most of them displacing school district employees.

In a 3-0 ruling, the court said employees of city agencies and schools are part of the same work force.

The school district had sued the city over the reassignment policy. District officials said the transfers were costly, forcing them to pay their laid-off workers health benefits as well as train new employees.

ATTENDANCE SCAM HITS BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL: BERKELEY (AP) — Dozens of students at Berkeley High School are facing suspension or expulsion after school officials say they got into a computer system and changed their attendance records.

Principal Pasquale Scuderi said Wednesday that 50 students will be suspended and two or three expelled. The scam apparently occurred after some students were able to obtain an administrative password to the system, which was then sold to other students.

The changes to students' attendance records occurred between October and January and meant students could skip classes or school altogether without their parents knowing.

Scuderi said administrators discovered the scam just before spring break on April 2. They then went through the school's 3,200 students to determine who was involved.

49ERS, SANTA CLARA TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW STADIUM: SANTA CLARA (AP) — Groundbreaking is set for the 49ers new, $1.2 billion stadium in Santa Clara.

49ers management and Santa Clara officials are expected to be on hand for a ceremony at the stadium site scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday.

City officials approved final deals for the stadium last month, including $100,000 in extra loan money and a non-relocation agreement that requires the 49ers to play its home games in Santa Clara for at least 40 years.

When completed in 2014, the stadium is expected to seat about 68,500 people and have 165 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. Officials say it will be capable of hosting other events as well, including soccer matches and concerts.

SAN CARLOS MAYOR RESIGNS, CITES ALCOHOL PROBLEM: SAN CARLOS . (AP) — A San Francisco Bay area mayor has abruptly resigned, citing a problem with alcohol as one reason for his decision.

San Carlos Mayor Andy Klein stepped down from office on Wednesday. In a letter to the city, the 30-year-old Klein said he had suffered major setbacks in his personal life and was headed for a divorce.

He told the Palo Alto Daily News that he also has a problem with alcohol.

Klein was arrested last year on suspicion of drunken driving. The Daily News reports that his blood-alcohol level was 0.07 percent, just below the state limit of 0.08 percent. Prosecutors decided not to press charges.

City Manager Jeff Matlbie said there was no indication that Klein's problems had an effect on his work for the city.